Over the past several years a number of voluntary sector organizations have created a presence on the World Wide Web. Many are also playing a key role in providing access to an extensive base of sector-related information. The following are sites of particular interest:
1. Action Without Borders- www.idealist.org (International)
Action Without Borders is a nonprofit organization that promotes the sharing of ideas, information and resources for volunteer and nonprofit services in communities around the world. The Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders and is a comprehensive directory of nonprofit and volunteering resources on the Web. It allows organizations to enter and update information about their services, volunteer opportunities, job openings, internships, upcoming events, and any material or publications they have produced.
Key features: Searchable database of organizations—by name or area of focus; browse organizations by country; seek volunteer opportunities; browse nonprofit jobs, resources and conferences; search a directory of consultants and companies that serve the nonprofit sector.
2. Canadian Centre for Philanthropy- www.ccp.ca (Canada)
The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy is a national charitable organization dedicated to advancing the role and interests of the charitable sector for the benefit of Canadian communities. The Centre’s Web site is a major source of research data, public policy issues and information resources for the voluntary sector.
Key features: Searchable database of Canadian foundations; catalogue of research projects and recently published reports; extensive collection of articles on fundraising, management, board development, etc.; links to relevant Web sites; current information on public policy developments and initiatives.
3. Canadian Policy Research Networks- www.cprn.com (Canada) The mission of the CPRN is to create knowledge and lead public debate on social and economic issues important to the wellbeing of Canadians
by helping policymakers and citizens debate related beliefs, values, frameworks, policies, and programs. The CPRN is currently operating three networks on the subjects of family, work, and health, as weB as special corporate projects on the nonprofit sector, the social union and policy research.
Key features: CPRN publications are available on line.
4. Charity Commission for England and Waleswww.charity-commission.gov.uk (International)
The Charity Commission is a government department which exists to help charities use their resources more effectively and to ensure that the public’s trust in charities continues to be justified. The Commission both supports and supervises charities but does not make grants to charities or individuals.
Key features: Information on the establishing and administration of British charities.
5. CharityNet- www.charitynet.org (International)
CharityNet is provided by the Charities Aid Foundation which is a registered charity providing charitable and financial services. CAF helps nonprofit organizations in the United Kingdom and overseas to increase, manage and administer their resources. Charity Net provides information on the voluntary sector in the United Kingdom including reports, publications and news, and policy and research from CAF.
Key features: Searchable databases; listings and links to information with an international focus providing easy reference to voluntary sector subjects in different regions of the world.
6. Charity Village- www.charityvillage.com (Canada)
Charity Village is a leading online source of information, news, jobs, services and resources for the Canadian nonprofit community. This site provides information and links to Canadian nonprofit organizations, resources, publications and sources of funding.
Key features: Links to sites of Canadian nonprofit organizations, international directories and resources; online publications; information on government departments and agencies; sources of economic, financial, and investment information; articles covering various areas of nonprofit management, fundraising, philanthropy and voluntarism; a database of job opportunities in the nonprofit sector.
7. Chronicle of Philanthropy (The)- www.philanthropy.com (U.S.) This is the online version of The Chronicle of Philanthropy which is a bi-weekly United States newspaper whose focus is the nonprofit world. This site offers the complete contents of the most recent issue, an archive of articles from the past year, and two years’ worth of grant listings. Also available on the site are a list of forthcoming conferences and workshops, job opportunities in the nonprofit world, and other grant and fundraising information. Much of this material will soon be available only to subscribers.
Key features: Searchable information on grants, fundraising, managing nonprofit organizations, conferences, workshops and seminars; links to internet resources for nonprofit organizations; products and services provided by companies that serve the nonprofit world; job opportunities in the nonprofit sector.
8. CIVICUS—www.civicus.org (International)
CIVICUS is an international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world. This site provides resources for global action and participation such as excerpts from CIVICUS World (a bi-monthly newsletter), a database of members, a calendar of global meetings, and a link to the CIVICUS Latin American and Caribbean Spanish Web site.
Key features: Geographic and alphabetical list of members around the world and links to other nonprofit Web sites.
9. Council on Foundations- www.cof.org (U.S.)
A nonprofit membership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. The Council on Foundations provides help to grantmakers such as foundation staff, trustees and board members through one-to-one technical assistance, research, publications, conferences and workshops, legal services, and an array of other services. Council members include nearly 1,700 grantmaking organizations, including international gran tmakers.
Key features: International collaborative opportunities; publications; members; organizations serving philanthropy; associations of grantmakers; resources for and about nonprofit organizations; directories of nonprofit organizations, collegial organizations, conferences and workshops.
10. Foundation Center (The)- www.fdncenter.org (U.S.)
The mission of The Foundation Center is to foster public understanding of foundations by collecting, organizing, analyzing, and disseminating information on foundations, corporate giving and related subjects for grantseekers, grantmakers, researchers, policy makers, the media, and the general public.
Key features: Links to over 600 grantmaker Web sites; research on foundation giving; informational materials; top U.S. funders; funding trends and analyses; online grantseeking assistance and proposal writing.
11. Guidestar, The Donor’s Guide to the Nonprofit Universewww.guidestar.org (U.S.)
This site has a database of information on all IRS-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. (These are the United States organizations entitled to issue receipts for tax purposes.) There are approximately 669,000 organizations in the database. The database is designed to handle a range of information from organizations such as program descriptions, financial information, and newsletters. The amount of information that appears for each nonprofit organization depends upon the information available to GuideStar and the participation level of the organization.
Key features: Searchable database of nonprofit organizations; links to charity and nonprofit Web sites and sites for donors; articles on philanthropy and nonprofit issues; searchable database of conferences.
12. Independent Sector (IS)- www.indepsec.org (U.S.)
The Independent Sector is a national leadership forum working to encourage philanthropy, volunteering, not-for-profit initiatives and citizen action. Some of their program areas include- public policy, leadership development, and research. A special initiative is Give Five- a nation-wide program designed to encourage giving and volunteering.
Key features: Online ordering of IS publications and information on current public policy initiatives.
13. Internet Nonprofit Center- www.nonprofits.org (U.S.)
The Internet Nonprofit Center is a project of The Evergreen State Society of Seattle, Washington. It offers information on a wide range of topics for and about nonprofit organizations in the United States as well as essays and analyses of the nonprofit sector from several viewpoints.
Key features: Online resource of information and advice about nonprofits by topic; searchable database designed to assist with clarifying the legal name and exact location of any nonprofit organization registered with the IRS.
14. National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS)- nccs.urban.org
(U.S.)
The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is the national repository of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States. Its mission is to develop and disseminate data on nonprofit organizations and their activities for use in research on the relationships between the nonprofit sector, government, the commercial sector, and the broader civil society. Working closely with the IRS and other government agencies, private sector service organizations, and the scholarly community, NCCS builds compatible national, state, and regional databases and develops uniform standards for reporting on the activities of charitable organizations.
Key features: Access to IRS data on nonprofits; descriptions of IRS forms, databases and files; profiles of the nonprofit sector in each state; statistics on tax-exempt organizations registered with the IRS.
15. National Center for Nonprofit Boards- www.ncnb.org (U.S.)
The National Center for Nonprofit Boards (NCNB) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping nonprofit leaders (board members and paid executive staff) build their organizations. This site provides information on the NCNB’s education programs and publications.
Key features: This site was redesigned for an April 1999 launch.
16. National Charities Information Bureau- www.give.org (U.S.) NCIB evaluates charities that solicit the general public nationally and have annual budgets of over $500,000. The NCIB reviews organizations in a number of fields, including health and human services, youth development, international assistance, the environment, and civil rights. The audience for NCIB’s evaluations includes donors, charities, government agencies, the media, and the general public. The NCIB’s financial support comes from individual contributors, corporations and foundations. The NCIB does not accept donations from the organizations it evaluates.
Key features: A quick reference guide to over 400 charities; a charity report of the week profiling a specific charity; tips for donors; online ordering of the NCIB free Wise Giving Guide.
17. National Society of Fund Raising Executives (NSFRE)www.nsfre.org (U.S.)
The National Society of Fund Raising Executives (NSFRE) is the professional association for those responsible for generating philanthropic support for a variety of charitable organizations. This site offers information on the organization and its chapters in the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as information for members and those who are interested in becoming members.
Key features: Calendar of upcoming educational and professional opportunities; news releases; updates of the NSFRE’s major federal, state, and Canadian government issues relating to nonprofit organizations.
18. Revenue Canada- www.rc.gc.ca (Canada)
Revenue Canada offers online forms and information regarding tax changes for nonprofit organizations.
Key features: Tax forms; fact sheet for nonprofit organizations; income tax guide to the nonprofit organization Information Return.
19. Society for Nonprofit Organizations (The)danenet.wicip.orglsnpo (U.S.)
The Society’s mission is to serve as a resource for board members, paid staff, and volunteers who lead or assist nonprofit organizations around the world. Members receive a bi-monthly magazine on relevant nonprofit issues and a monthly report on funding opportunities for nonprofits.
Key features: Directory of companies that offer services to nonprofit organizations; lists of books, audiotapes, and videotapes geared specifically to nonprofits; link to the Learning Institute for Nonprofit Organizations which aims to provide training and education to the nonprofit sector.
20. Alliance for Nonprofit Management- www.allianceonline.org
(U.S.)
The Alliance for Nonprofit Management is the result of the 1998 merger of the Support Centers of America (SCA) and the Nonprofit Management Association (NMA). The Alliance aims to assist those who deliver management and governance support services to nonprofit organizations.
Key features: Links to Alliance members in the United States, Canada and Romania; information for nonprofits on board development, financial management, fundraising and strategic planning.
21. UK Fundraising- www.fundraising.co.uk (International)
UK Fundraising is the leading internet resource for professional charity and nonprofit fundraisers in the United Kingdom and beyond. It contains information on a wide variety of fundraising issues and resources, including books, consultants, e-mail discussion lists, events, funding, grants, magazines, nonprofit resources, products, professional organizations, research papers, services, software, and links to examples of online fundraising activities.
Key features: Calendar of events, training sessions and conferences for UK fundraisers; links to information about grants and funding in the U.K., Europe and North America; links to fundraising resources around the world; global links to information and publications relevant to the nonprofit sector.
22. Voluniary Sector Roundtable (VSR)—www.web.net/vsr-trsb (Canada)
The Voluntary Sector Roundtable (VSR) is an unincorporated group of national organizations and coalitions which aims to enhance the relationship between the charitable sector and the federal government and to encourage a supportive legislative and regulatory framework for organizations in the community.
Key features: Online access to VSR newsletters and publications.
23. Canadian Center for Business in the Community—www2.conferenceboard.ca/ccbc (Canada)
The CCBC specializes in providing the plans, tools and expertise needed by Canadian companies to develop corporate citizenship programs that balance business objectives and the needs of their key stakeholders.
Key features: Information on the CCBC’s conferences, counselling services, customized research services, networks, publications, and training.
24. International Committee on Fundraising Organisations—home.axford.com/icfo (International)
The ICFO is an international monitoring association for nonprofit organizations. ICFO has developed a set of international standards for good governance and management for international nongovernmental or nonprofit, private organizations that raise funds from the public for charitable or public benefit purposes. This site provides information pertaining to the ICFO’s international standards, the ICFO annual general meeting, and a list of ICFO members.
Key features: Details of the ICFO annual meeting agenda.
PREPARED BY ROSE van ROTIERDAM
Editorial Co-Ordinator, The Philanthropist
